Film processing device



March 28, 1939.

L. R. FINK FILM PROCESSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 20. 1938 l`l nenial Mar.2s, 1939 narran STATES PATENT orrlcis;y

Fink-Roselieve Co. corporation of New Inc., New York, Na Y., a

York

Application .E'anuary 20, i938, Serial No. 185,802

6 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for developing and hiring, or otherwisetreating strips or lengths of photographic iilm. Generally speaking,devices used for this purpose comprise a receptacle, usually circular, acover therefor, and film supporting means therein. The film supportingmeans are commonly referred to as either a reel or spool, and it is thisportion of the device towhich my invention is specifically dig rected.

In operation, the strip of exposed film is threaded or otherwise placedin the reel or spool, and the reel or spool disposed within thereceptacle. The cover is then placed on the receptacle, and the liquidchemicals poured into the receptacle through a suitable opening, eitherin the cover or in the body of the receptacle. 'I'he reel is thenrevolved within the receptacle and all surfaces of the lm strip thusbrought into contact with the liquids. The conventional reel is providedwith a pair of spaced apart plates or discs having helical or spiralgrooves on their p opposing faces, into which grooves the lm isthreaded. It has been found as a matter of good practice to space thediscs apart a distance greater' than the width of the film being treatedso as to reduce friction and make it easy to insert and withdraw thefilm strip. The reel is constantly being revolved during the variousprocessingsteps, to thoroughly agitate the chemicals, and ofttimes thefilm strip slides out of the reel and rubs or scrapes against the innerwalls of the receptacle. Prior inventors have sought to solve theproblem thus presented by locking the film to the core of the reel orspool, but this made it necessary to insert the film strip from the coreor inside of the reel to the outside. It is the main object of myinvention to provide a reel for use in film developing tanks which maybe loaded from the outside or periphery thereof having means at thatpoint or adjacent thereto to prevent any retraction or sliding of thefilm out of the groove.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a reel for use infilm developing tanks which has a plurality of discs relativelymovableto each other, whereby a plurality of film strips may be receivedthereby.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a reel for use infilm developing tanks having one xed disc and a plurality of discsmovable with respect thereto.

A further object of my invention is the provi-- sion of a reel for usein` lm developing tanks having one fixed disc at the bottom thereof, anda pair of discs movable with respect thereto, the

(ci. 24a-.ich

centermost of which dises is provided with film receiving means on bothfaces thereof.

Further objects of my invention will in part be apparent and in part bepointed out specifically in connection with the following description of5 an illustrative embodiment.

In the drawing annexed hereto and made a part hereof, v

Fig. l is a transverse view through one form of film treating deviceconstructed accordingto and 10 embodyingmy invention, including thenovel reel of my invention with a plurality of strips of film in placetherein;

Fig. 2.15 a side elevational view of the reel illustrated in Fig. 1,with portions of the film 16 broken away to show details of interiorconstruction; f

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the face of one of the discs of the reel,viewed along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the inner face of one ofthe discs of the reel, viewed along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, illustratingthe details of the film lock of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the device as a `unit is indicated byreference numeral III, and comprises circular receptacle I 2, cover I4,and reel I6. Receptacle I2 has bottom I8 and vertically rising wall 28.The upper edge of wall 20 is extended outwardly to form lip 22 which hasan 30 annular groove 24 formed therein. Cover I4 is also circular, andis provided with a. plurality, of concentric, downwardly dependingflanges 26, 28, 3l), which interlt with the raised portions of lip 22 toform a plurality of staggered passages to 35 prevent light from enteringthe.interlor of the receptacle. The center of cover I4 has a raisedportion I5, the interior of which is dlshed, as at 32, with an opening34 therethrough having downwardly depending flange 36 outlining the 40opening, the dished portion acting as a funnel whereby the liquids maymore easilybe poured into the tank.

Reel I6 comprises core 38, which is slightly tapered, for reasons to beexplained below. Core. 38 is generally circular in cross-section, and ishollow, as indicated at 40. Core 38 has circular disc 42 formed integraltherewith at the bottom or wider end thereof, which disc 42 extendsoutwardly from and at right angles to core 38. A number of annulargrooves 44 are formed in core 38, as is a vertical groove 46 whichextends from the top of core 38 to below the center thereof,

y the functions of which grooves 44, 46.will be explained below. Disc4,2 has a base portion 48 on 55 the inner face of which is formed ahelical wall 80, which defines a helical groove 52.

A second disc 54 is provided having a helical wall 56 on each facethereof, which walls 5B define a helical groove 58 on each of the discfaces. Disc 54 has an opening 50 in the center thereof, and has a hub orcollar 62 extending downwardly therefrom. Hub 82 is provided with slits84 ex tending the length thereof. All the component parts of the device,the receptacle, cover, reel core, discs, etc. are formed of moldedplastics material, and the slits 64 in collar 82 provide a spring inthat, as the disc 54 is slid down along the tapered core 38, the collar62 will open and expand. The inside of collar 62 is provided with anannular rib 66 which lits within annular grooves 44 to lock the disc 54in any one of several desired positions n relation to the fixed disc 42at the bottom of the core. The inside of collar G2 is also provided witha 'button Bit 'which is re ceived within groove 46 to position disc 54against rotation about core 38.

A third disc 1D is provided, the underside of which is provided with ahelical wall l2 denning a helical groove 14. This disc iii also has anopen ing 16 in the center thereof, and has a hub or collar 18 extendingdownwardly therefrom. Hub 'I8 is provided with slits 80 extending thelength thereof. These slits 8D provide a spring action similar to thatdetailed above in connection with collar 62,and the inside of collaritis providedwith an annular rib 82 and a button 84 'whereby disc 10 mayalso be positioned as desired with respect to the fixed disc 42. Each ofthese three discs is provided with openings 8B through the facesthereof, in order that the liquid poured into 'the tank may pass throughsaid openings to contact the surfaces of the film being processed.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the helical wall 50begins near or at the outside edge or periphery of the disc 42. Theradius of curvature of the wall, in following the helical path,necessarily becomes constantly smaller, and there is more or less aconcentricity established between successive convolutions of the wall,the space between defining the helical groove 52 in disc 42. The same istrue of both faces of disc 54 and the lower face of disc l0. Thus,starting from the edge of disc 42, wall 50 begins at a and the firstcomplete convolution is completed at b, at which point the wall isspaced sufficiently in from the edge of the disc 42 to provide thebeginning of a gr f-ve or track. The third convolution of the wall 50 iscompleted at region c, dening the first complete convolution of groove52. At the region a where the wall begins, there is provided a raisedportion 5|.

Following the path of wall 50 from its beginning a around to the regionb, or the flrst convolution, it will be seen that the wall 50 is spacedincreasingly in from the edge 43 of disc 42. This distance from the edgeis greatest at the end of the first convolution at region b. However, inorder to provide adequate clearance for inserting the film strip withoutthe necessity for any bending thereof, I provide my lock or safety at aregion where the wall 50 is spaced in from edge 43 at a distancesubstantially similar tothat at region o, for instance, at |00, seeFigs. 3 and 4. At this point, which is seen in Figs. 3 and 4 to be dis#posed rearwardly of the beginning of wall 50,1 provide a wall having astraight portion |02 which extends outwardly from wall 50, at rightangles thereto, to the edge 43, where it is bent over and takes thecurvature of disc 42; the curved wall portion |04v stopping short -ofthe beginning of wall 5|! at a and leaving a space |08 therebetween forthe entrance of film into the groove 52. The right angled wallthus formsa pocket |08 between the beginning of wall 50 and the convoluted b partthereof into which the film may be disposed against accidentaldslodgment.

In operation, disc 54 is threaded onto tapered core 38 and pushed downagainst the taper thereof, until the desired distance from disc 42 isreached, at which point rib 66 will be received into groove 44, andbutton G8 fitted into groove 46, to align the opposing faces of the twodiscs with the entrances |06 opposite each other. Film strip iiD is theninserted through entrance Ill' l5 and threaded into the groove 52 andpushed around the helical path thereof until the entire film length isreceived within the convolutions of the reel. The end l2i| of the filmis then. 're-- tracted within the pocret itt. When in, 'the pocket, thefilm will be removed from. all con oct with the inside of Wall 2i) andwill be ed against any movement out ci." the reel. @i ally, the floor H2oi pocitet lllt may from the bottom thereof, that, if end |20 may befriction. locked within as shown in Fig. i, the bottom of r is providedwith an .in central. s comprises a plurality o. concentric tva s whichthe bottom ci? core 38 rests, spacing lowern'iost disc 42 from thebottoni of th ceptacle. The reel isof auch height with rel tion to thedepth of the receptacle that the tti of cover i4 fits into the mouth. ofcore when the parts are disposed in the operative position of 05 Fig. 1.

The reel of my invention has one :fined disc t2 at the bottom thereof,`with a helical groove on the upper face thereof. The second disc itthas helical grooves 58 on both faces thereof, and the third disc 10 hasa helical groove 'lil on the bottorn face thereof, so that, if desired,roy device can accommodate two separate film strips. The provision, inthe centerrnost disc. of grooves on both facesthereof makes it possible'by the use of disc lll to double the capacity of the device.

Most film is of standard size, and annular grooves 44 may be provided atpredetermined distances apart to accommodate the known film sizes. Theprovision of the conventional arrange ment of groove 4B and buttons 64and 84 makes it possible to lock the movable discs with respect to thefixed disc so that the entrances |06 of the opposing disc faces will betransversely aligned and locked against displacement from the alignedposition.

The liquid is poured into the dished portion of the cover, thencethrough the hollow core of the reel to the bottom of the tank. It thenrises upwardly. through openings 8B and the space between the reel andthe receptacle walls. To secure optimum results, it is desirable toagitate the liquids and for this purpose, a. cross bar |38 is providedWithin core 38 which is received within the split end |32 of handle |34,whereby the reel i6 may be rotated from the outside during theprocessing operation. The fit offiange'38 within the mouth of core 38,and the interfit between the lip of the receptacle and the flanges ofthe cover, make the tank light-tight, and once the film is fed into thereel and the cover put on, the remaining operations may safely becarried on in daylight.

An opening |40 may be provided in the outer edge of cover I4, to providean overflow for liquids during the processing operations. and once thecover is put on the receptacle, it may be kept on untilthe nal washingoperation is completed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

i.' A reel for use in nlm developing tanks comprislng a central core, axed disc thereon having nim receiving means on one side thereof, and apair of movable discs thereon, the centermost of the discs having 111mreceiving means on both sides thereof which cooperate with filmreceiving faces on the opposing sides oi the iixed disc and the othermovable disc.

2. A reel for use in illm developing tanks comprising a central core. adisc fixed thereon at one end thereof, a second faces oi s'aid rst andsecond disc, said third disc and second disc having cooperating i'ilmreceiving means thereon.

3. A reel for use in 111m developing tanks comprising a pair of spacedapart discs each of which has a helical nlm receiving groove thereon,the

opening, iorlockingtbeiihnanlnst accidental displacementiromthe grooves.

4 Areeli'oruseiniilm tankscomiaces has an entrance into the groove infrom the periphery of the disc. and the discs being disposed with theentrances in transverse alignment, each oi' which discs is provided witha nlm receiving pocket thereon as an integral part oi' thediscspacedfromsaidentrancetosecurothe nlm within the grooves'ngainst dispilcementnlm into the groov which right angle wall portion, with a successiveportion o! the helical wail,

forms a nlm receiving pocketon laid bue.

LAWRIRCIR.. FINI.

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